Texas

Mom of Texas teen murdered in 2001 says killer’s execution will be ‘joyful occasion’

Published

1 year ago

June 25, 2024

Mom of Texas teen murdered in 2001 says killer’s execution will be ‘joyful occasion’

Bridget Townsend was just getting her start in life as a young woman in the small Texas town of Bandera when Ramiro Gonzales raped and killed her. Her mom says she was ‘a beautiful person.’

Bridget Townsend was planning for the future. The Texas 18-year-old was working full-time at a resort and eagerly waiting to hear back about an application to get into nursing school.

But on Jan. 14, 2001, a man named Ramiro Gonzales stole all that away and all the other moments and milestones that make up a life when he kidnapped, raped and murdered Bridget.

“She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people,” her mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY on Saturday. “Every time she was with somebody she hadn’t seen in a while, she had to hug ’em … She didn’t deserve what she got.”

Now more than 23 years later, Gonzales is set to be executed for the crime in Texas on Wednesday, which would have been Bridget’s 41st birthday. Patricia Townsend said the execution will be a “joyful occasion” for her and her family, who have been waiting so long for justice.

As Gonzales’ execution approaches, USA TODAY is looking back at the tragic crime, who Bridget was what her family lost.

A terrible night

Bridget was at her boyfriend Joe Leal’s house that terrible night.

Leal dealt drugs and Gonzales went to his house to steal cocaine, finding Bridget there alone.

After Gonzales came in and stole some cash, Bridget started to call Leal. That’s when Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up and drove her to his grandfather’s ranch, where he raped and shot her before dumping her body in a field, according to court records.

When Leal arrived home later that night, Bridget’s truck, purse and keys were their usual spots but he couldn’t find her anywhere and called police.

For nearly two years, no one but Gonzales knew what happened to Bridget. One day while he was serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, Gonzales decided to confess to killing Bridget, leading authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, a small town 40 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Gonzales was convicted of Bridget’s murder in September 2006.

‘Thank God I got to see her’

Patricia Townsend last saw her daughter the same day she was killed. Townsend was working at a video store and had asked Bridget to drop by and return a video.

“Thank God I got to see her. And I told her I loved her. And I hugged her,” Townsend said.

Bridget left soon after, saying she was going to bed because she had to drive to work in the morning. Townsend told her daughter goodbye, reminding her that she loved her.

After Townsend closed the video store and went home for the night, she said she couldn’t shake the feeling that she heard Bridget call out to her: “Mom.” She tried to call Bridget but there was no answer.

“And I said, ‘Well don’t fret, Pat.’ She said she had to get up early and go to work so she’s probably sleeping,” Townsend said. “But I should have known better because always slept with her phone right next to her in case somebody called her.”

She thought about going to check on Bridget but talked herself out of it.

“And to this day I regret not going out there,” she said. “Maybe I would have been there in time to stop him.”

Patricia Townsend gets worst news of her life

For nearly two years, Townsend spent most of her time putting up flyers about her daughter and chasing leads.

Until one night a Bandera County sheriff asked her to come to the station. Although she had been holding out hope that her daughter was alive despite the odds, she instead got the worst news of her life.

The sheriff told Townsend that Gonzales had confessed to Bridget’s murder, had led police to her body and that he had some things he was hoping she might be able to identify.

“And I walked on down the street. I couldn’t hear it anymore,” she said.

Towsend says she didn’t even have a body to bury on Oct. 16, 2002 because Gonzales “wanted to see her body decay.”

Townsend rejected arguments from Gonzales that a childhood filled with trauma and neglect helped lead him down a path that ended in her daughter’s murder.

“He doesn’t deserve mercy,” she said. “And his childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood … He made his choice.”

It’s Gonzales’ own fault that he no longer has a life.

“He could be going to school or have a wife and kids,” she said. “I don’t feel sorry for him at all and I don’t want other people to feel sorry for him. Some people I feel sorry for are his grandma and grandpa that raised him.”

What has also brought comfort to Townsend amid the grief is that Gonzales is set to leave the world the same day Bridget came into it.

“When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying,” she said. “That’s her birthday.”

Instead of celebrating her daughter’s 41st birthday, she’ll drive four hours from her home in San Antonio to the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville and watch Gonzales die.

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Why Texas A&M’s former Heisman winner was a generational dual-threat

Published

10 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Why Texas A&M’s former Heisman winner was a generational dual-threat

On Saturday night, the 91st Heisman winner will be announced, as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are the four finalists who will contend for the most prestigious award college football has to offer.

All four players led their teams to double-digit wins. At the same time, Mendoza and Sayin are headed to the College Football Playoff after Indiana’s Big Ten Championship win over the Buckeyes vaulted the Hoosiers to the No. 1-seed, receiving a first-round bye in the CFP.

For Texas A&M fans, former star quarterback Johnny Manziel, who won the program’s second Heisman Trophy after his historic 2012 redshirt freshman season, was back in the news after Bleacher Report revealed back-to-back rushing comparisons to Jeremiyah Love’s prolific 2025 rushing production, which led to him becoming a Heisman finalist.

Manziel threw for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns, while rushing for an incredible 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns on 201 carries, averaging seven yards per carry. Love, whose entire job is running and catching the ball, ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

This takes nothing away from Jeremiyah Love’s incredible season, but is just another reason Johnny Manziel’s 2012 season is still regarded as the most outstanding Heisman-winning campaign, outside of former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s 2010 Heisman season.

After throwing for 2,932 yards and 25 touchdowns, Texas A&M star QB Marcel Reed did not make the Heisman finalist cut.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

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2025-26 college football bowl game schedule, scores, TV channels, times

Published

22 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

2025-26 college football bowl game schedule, scores, TV channels, times

Here’s the complete college football bowl schedule for the 2025-26 season, which begins Saturday, Dec. 13. Games continue through the College Football Playoff title game on Monday, Jan. 19.

This article will continue to be updated as bowl games go final.

2025-26 college football bowl game schedule, scores, TV channels, matchup information

(all times ET)

Saturday, Dec. 13

Celebration Bowl
South Carolina State vs. Prairie View A&M
12 p.m. | ABC
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia

LA Bowl
Boise State vs. Washington
8 p.m. | ABC
SoFi Stadium
Inglewood, Calif.

Tuesday, Dec. 16

Salute to Veterans Bowl
Troy vs. Jacksonville State
9 p.m. | ESPN
Cramton Bowl
Montgomery, Ala.

Wednesday, Dec. 17

Cure Bowl
Old Dominion vs. South Florida
5 p.m. | ESPN
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, Fla.

68 Ventures Bowl
Louisiana vs. Delaware
8:30 p.m. | ESPN
Hancock Whitney Stadium
Mobile, Ala.

Thursday, Dec. 18

Xbox Bowl
Arkansas State vs. Missouri State
9 p.m. | ESPN2
Ford Center
Frisco, Texas

Friday, Dec. 19

Myrtle Beach Bowl
Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan
11 a.m. | ESPN
Brooks Stadium
Conway, S.C.

Gasparilla Bowl
Memphis vs. NC State
2:30 p.m. | ESPN
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Fla.

College Football Playoff First Round Game
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
8 p.m. | ESPN, ABC
Memorial Stadium
Norman, Okla.

Saturday, Dec. 20

College Football Playoff First Round Game
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.)
12 p.m. | ESPN, ABC
Kyle Field
College Station, Texas

College Football Playoff First Round Game
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 20 Tulane
3:30 p.m. | TNT, HBO Max, truTV
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Oxford, Miss.

College Football Playoff First Round Game
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 24 James Madison
7:30 p.m. | TNT, HBO Max, truTV
Autzen Stadium
Eugene, Ore.

Monday, Dec. 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Washington State vs. Utah State
2 p.m. | ESPN
Albertsons Stadium
Boise, Idaho

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Boca Raton Bowl

New Orleans Bowl
Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss
5:30 p.m. | ESPN
Caesars Superdome
New Orleans, La.

Frisco Bowl
UNLV vs. Ohio
9 p.m. | ESPN
Ford Center at The Star
Frisco, Texas

Wednesday, Dec. 24

Hawai’i Bowl
Cal vs. Hawai’i
8 p.m. | ESPN
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex
Honolulu, Hawai’i

Friday, Dec. 26

GameAbove Sports Bowl
Central Michigan vs. Northwestern
1 p.m. | ESPN
Ford Field
Detroit, Mich.

Rate Bowl
New Mexico vs. Minnesota
4:30 p.m. | ESPN
Chase Field
Phoenix, Ariz.

First Responder Bowl
FIU vs. UTSA
8 p.m. | ESPN
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Dallas, Texas

Saturday, Dec. 27

Military Bowl
Pitt vs. East Carolina
11 a.m. | ESPN
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Annapolis, Md.

Pinstripe Bowl
Clemson vs. Penn State
12 p.m. | ABC
Yankee Stadium
Bronx, N.Y.

Fenway Bowl
UConn vs. Army
2:15 p.m. | ESPN
Fenway Park
Boston, Mass.

Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech
3:30 p.m. | ABC
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, Fla.

Arizona Bowl
Miami (Ohio) vs. Fresno State
4:30 p.m. | The CW Network
Arizona Stadium
Tucson, Ariz.

New Mexico Bowl
No. 25 North Texas vs. San Diego State
5:45 p.m. | ESPN
University Stadium
Albuquerque, N.M.

Gator Bowl
Missouri vs. No. 19 Virginia
7:30 p.m. | ABC
EverBank Stadium
Jacksonville, Fla.

Texas Bowl
LSU vs. No. 21 Houston
9:15 p.m. | ESPN
NRG Stadium
Houston, Texas

Monday, Dec. 29

Birmingham Bowl

Tuesday, Dec. 30

Independence Bowl
Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech
2 p.m. | ESPN
Independence Stadium
Shreveport, La.

Music City Bowl
Tennessee vs. Illinois
5:30 p.m. | ESPN
Nissan Stadium
Nashville, Tenn.

Alamo Bowl
No. 16 USC vs. TCU
9 p.m. | ESPN
Alamodome
San Antonio, Texas

Wednesday, Dec. 31

ReliaQuest Bowl
No. 23 Iowa vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt
12 p.m. | ESPN
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Fla.

Sun Bowl
Arizona State vs. Duke
2 p.m. | CBS
Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas

Citrus Bowl
No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan
3 p.m. | ABC
Camping World Stadium
Orlando, Fla.

Las Vegas Bowl
Nebraska vs. No. 15 Utah
3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Allegiant Stadium
Las Vegas, Nev.

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Texas A&M/No. 10 Miami (Fla.) winner
7:30 p.m. | ESPN , WatchESPN
AT&T Stadium (Cotton Bowl)
Arlington, Texas

Thursday, Jan. 1

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. No. 5 Oregon/No. 24 James Madison winner
12 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
Hard Rock Stadium (Orange Bowl)
Miami Gardens, Fla.

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal
No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama winner
4 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
Rose Bowl (Rose Bowl)
Pasadena, Calif.

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 20 Tulane winner
8 p.m. | ESPN, WatchESPN
Caesars Superdome (Sugar Bowl)
New Orleans, La.

Friday, Jan. 2

Armed Forces Bowl
Texas State vs. Rice
1 p.m. | ESPN
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Fort Worth, Texas

Liberty Bowl
Navy vs. Cincinnati
4:30 p.m. | ESPN
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium
Memphis, Tenn.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest
8 p.m. | ESPN
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, N.C.

Holiday Bowl
No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU
8 p.m. | FOX
Snapdragon Stadium
San Diego, Calif.

Thursday, Jan. 8

College Football Playoff Semifinal
7:30 p.m. | ESPN
State Farm Stadium (Fiesta Bowl)
Glendale, Ariz.

Friday, Jan. 9

College Football Playoff Semifinal
7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Peach Bowl)
Atlanta, Ga.

Monday, Jan. 19

College Football Playoff National Championship Game
7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami, Fla.

Here’s a complete list of scores from the College Football Playoff since its first season in 2014:

College Football Playoff: Scores, results

2014 season

Rose Bowl: No. 2 Oregon 59, No. 3 Florida State 20
Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 1 Alabama 35
CFP National Championship Game: No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20

2015 season

Orange Bowl: No. 1 Clemson 37, No. 4 Oklahoma 17
Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Alabama 38, No. 3 Michigan State 0
CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40

2016 season

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Clemson 31, No. 3 Ohio State 0
Peach Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 24, No. 4 Washington 7
CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31

2017 season

Rose Bowl: No. 3 Georgia 54, No. 2 Oklahoma 48 (2OT)
Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Alabama 24, No. 1 Clemson 6
CFP National Championship Game: No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 (OT)

2018 season

Orange Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 45, No. 4 Oklahoma 34
Cotton Bowl: No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3
CFP National Championship Game: No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16

2019 season

Peach Bowl: No. 1 LSU 63, No. 4 Oklahoma 28
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio State 23
CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25

2020 season

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 31, No. 4 Notre Dame 14
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State 49, No. 2 Clemson 28
CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24

2021 season

Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama 27, No. 4 Cincinnati 6
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Georgia 34, No. 2 Michigan 11
CFP National Championship Game: No. 3 Georgia 33, No. 1 Alabama 18

2022 season

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia 42, No. 4 Ohio State 41
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 TCU 51, No. 2 Michigan 45
CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Georgia 65, No. 3 TCU 7

2023 season

Rose Bowl: No. 1 Michigan 27, No. 4 Alabama 20
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Washington 37, No. 3 Texas 31
CFP National Championship Game: No. 1 Michigan 34, No. 2 Washington 13

2024 season

First round (Dec. 20-21)
Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)
Semifinals (Jan. 9-10)
CFP National Championship

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Texas A&M vs. Louisville volleyball final score, stats highlights

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Texas A&M vs. Louisville volleyball final score, stats highlights

After dropping the first two sets, No. 3 seed Texas A&M (25-4) stormed back to beat No. 2 seed Louisville (26-6) 3-2 in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament Friday night.

Texas A&M moves on to play Sunday against either No. 1 Nebraska or No. 4 Kansas, who play at 9:30 p.m. ET Friday night. Here’s how the Sweet 16 heavyweight match played out:

FINAL: Texas A&M wins 3-2, taking final set 15-12.

No. 3 Texas A&M completed a reverse sweep against No. 2 Louisville to advance to the regional final for the first time since 2001 after winning the fifth set, 15-12. The Aggies were able to swing the momentum of the game with their blocking ability, led by Ifenna Cos-okpalla’s 12 total blocks.

Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky (20 kills, 10 digs on .245 hitting), Kyndal Stowers (16 kills, 11 digs on .282 hitting) and Emily Hellmuth (12 kills on .226 hitting) each recorded double-digit kills.

“We just weren’t finishing the last end of the set,” said an emotional Lednicky, who was three blocks away from a triple double. “We’re like, we’re not letting them sweep us. We know how to grind, we know how to dig it. We saw it in the TCU match and we did just that last one.”

Tensions boiled over in the fifth set. Louisville head coach Dan Meske earned a yellow card for swatting the ball because he thought the referee missed a carry call during a long rally Texas A&M won to go up 12-10.

Louisville’s Chloe Chicoine finished with a game-high 26 kills hitting .300 in the loss.

No. 3 Texas A&M took a 17-8 lead after holding No. 2 Louisville to a -.143 hitting percentage to start the fourth set with its defensive prowess. The Aggies stretched their lead to as many as nine points, but Louisville went on a 7-1 run to come within three points of Texas A&M. The Aggies didn’t relinquish the lead this time. Texas A&M finished the fourth set on a 4-0 run to force a decisive fifth set.

Texas A&M held Louisville to .000 hitting in the fourth set. The Aggies hit .267 and recorded nine blocks. Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky (18 kills on .333 hitting), Kyndal Stowers (14 kills on .243 hitting) and Emily Hellmuth (10 kills on .200 hitting) each have double-digit kills. Ifenna Cos-okpalla is up to 11 blocks.

The Aggies are going for the reverse sweep, the team’s first since September 2024.

No. 3 Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison said his team needed to do a better job at finishing at the end of the set if they wanted to extend their season against No. 2 Louisville after giving up leads in the first two sets. The Aggies did just that in a third set that featured 15 ties and five lead changes.

The Aggies had a 23-21 lead in the third set before Louisville tied it up at 23-23 following back-to-back kills from Chloe Chicoine. Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers responded with a pair of kills herself to give the Aggies the set, 25-23.

Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky (14 kills on .333 hitting), Stowers (11 kills on .259 hitting) and Emily Hellmuth (10 kills on .261) each have double-digit kills as the team is collectively hitting .292.

Meanwhile, Chicoine is up to 19 kills on .405 hitting. Cara Cresse added seven blocks.

New set, same scenario. Much like the first set, Texas A&M was the first team to reach 15 points. The Aggies had a 21-16 lead in the second set, before Louisville staged another comeback. The Cardinals went on a 9-1 run to take the lead and clinch the second set, 25-22, to take a 2-0 lead over Texas A&M.

Louisville capitalized on 14 total blocks and three aces. Chloe Chicoine (11 kills on .400 hitting) and Payton Petersen (10 kills on .563 hitting) led the Cardinals in kills.

Logan Lednicky has nine kills, while Emily Hellmuth and Kyndal Stowers each have seven kills for Texas A&M.

No. 3 Texas A&M had control of the first set and was the first team to 15 points, but No. 2 Louisville went on a 5-0 run to tie it up at 17-17. Five more ties ensued before Louisville ultimately created some separation to take the first set, 25-23. Louisville hit .457 and had two players with six or more kills — Payton Petersen (seven kills on .778 hitting) and Chloe Chicoine (six kills on .600 hitting).

NCAA volleyball tournament regionals schedule

All times Eastern

Friday, Dec. 12

Saturday, Dec. 13

Sunday, Dec. 14

TBA | No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Wisconsin
Regional final, TBD

NCAA women’s volleyball bracket

Find the full NCAA women’s volleyball tournament bracket on the NCAA website.

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